Chapter 6: The Woman Who Wanted Half
I didn't sleep that night.
At four in the morning, I sat at the kitchen island with a mug of cold coffee and a stack of documents Nicole had asked me to gather.
Corporate filings.
Bank records.
Copies of the purchase agreements for my rental properties.
The company's operating agreement.
Every page represented a piece of a business I had built through years of early mornings, difficult clients, delayed payments, and jobs that left my hands cracked and my back aching.
Now I was examining those same records to establish that I had never authorized a man I barely knew to borrow money against them.
Tasha had gone to the guest bedroom.
We hadn't spoken since Nicole's last call.
At seven, my phone rang.
It was my operations manager, Andre Lewis.
“Morning, boss. Sorry to call early. We've got a problem.””
I straightened.
“What happened?””
“Someone from Peachtree Capital called the office yesterday evening. They asked whether we were partnering with Mitchell Strategic Holdings.””
I gripped the edge of the counter.
“What did you tell them?””
“That we'd never heard of them. They asked for you, but you were unavailable.””
“Did they mention the loan?””
“Not directly. They said there was a financing matter involving company assets.””
I closed my eyes.
“Listen carefully. Nobody discusses our finances with anyone unless I or Nicole authorizes it. If they call again, direct them to our attorney.””
“Understood. Marcus, is the company in trouble?””
“Not that we know of. Someone appears to have submitted an unauthorized application. We're dealing with it.””
Andre was quiet for a moment.
“You want me to hold the East Atlanta preparations?””
“Pause any nonrefundable spending until Nicole confirms the next steps. Keep the crews working on our existing projects.””
“Got it.””
After we hung up, I stared at the paperwork.
My business wasn't just money. It was the people who depended on it.
Andre had two children. One of my site supervisors was helping his mother through cancer treatment. Several of my contractors relied on my projects to keep their crews employed.
I couldn't allow my anger toward Tasha to distract me from protecting them.
At eight thirty, Nicole arrived at my house.
She carried a laptop bag and a fresh folder of her own.
Tasha came downstairs a few minutes later, dressed in jeans and a gray sweater. She looked as if she hadn't slept either.
Nicole placed the new documents on the kitchen island.
“Peachtree Capital has confirmed that the loan remains frozen. They've requested formal written notice that Marcus disputes the application and that David had no authority to act for Bennett Renovations.””
“Can we send it today?”” I asked.
“Yes. I've drafted the notice. I'll also contact the title company to explain that the disputed application was unauthorized and that the lender is reviewing the matter.””
Tasha sat at the far end of the island.
“Does that mean Marcus can still buy the building?””
“Possibly,” Nicole answered.
“That depends on how quickly the title issue can be resolved and whether the seller is willing to extend the closing date.””
Tasha looked at me.
“I hope you can still get it.””
I didn't respond.
Nicole opened her laptop.
“There's another issue. We need to establish exactly what role Tasha believed she had in the proposed venture.””
Tasha stiffened.
“I wasn't a partner in Marcus's company.””
“Then why does the application list you as a beneficiary?””
“I thought I was going to be a consultant.””
“For what company?””
“Mitchell Strategic Holdings.””
Nicole paused.
“Had you signed an employment agreement?””
“No.””
“An investment agreement?””
“Not exactly.””
“What does 'not exactly' mean?””
Tasha rubbed her forehead.
“David gave me a document describing the proposed project. It said I would help coordinate operations and receive a share of the profits.””
“What percentage?””
She glanced at me.
“Twenty-five percent.””
I felt my jaw tighten.
“Twenty-five percent of what?””
“The new project.””
“With whose money?””
“David said he had investors.””
“Did you believe him?””
“Yes.””
Nicole typed something into her notes.
“Did the document say Marcus's company would provide the financing?””
Tasha hesitated.
“I think so.””
I pushed my chair back.
“You think so?””
She flinched.
“I didn't understand all the legal language!””
“You understood enough to agree to take a quarter of the profits.””
“I thought you would be involved!””
“You never asked me.””
“Because I knew you'd say no!””
The words came out louder than she intended.
Silence fell over the kitchen.
Tasha stared at me, realizing what she'd admitted.
I leaned forward.
“Say that again.””
She shook her head.
“Marcus—”
“You knew I'd say no, so you went behind my back.””
“I thought you were being too cautious. You always want to review everything. You never take a chance unless you can control every detail.””
“It's called protecting a business.””
“It's why you never let anyone else help you!””
I looked at her.
“You weren't helping me. You were making arrangements behind my back to profit from a loan I never authorized.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I thought it would make us financially secure.””
“By risking everything I'd built?””
She covered her face.
Nicole interrupted before the argument could spiral further.
“Tasha, we need the document you signed. If you have a copy on your phone or in your email, please locate it. Don't contact David to ask him for anything.””
Tasha nodded.
She picked up her phone and began searching.
A few minutes later, she stopped scrolling.
“I found something.””
She turned the screen toward Nicole.
It was an email from David sent two weeks earlier.
The subject line read: Final Project Structure — Confidential.
The body contained a short message.
*Everything is ready. Once Marcus's company authorization is accepted, we can proceed. Your share will be protected in the separate agreement.
Don't tell him until the funds are released. He'll understand once he sees the returns.*
I read it twice.
Then I looked at Tasha.
“You knew he wanted to keep this secret from me until the money was released.””
She shook her head.
“I thought he meant the investment details.””
“He literally wrote that I shouldn't know until the funds were released.””
“I thought you'd change your mind when you saw how profitable it could be!””
Nicole held up a hand.
“Let's not speculate about his intentions. We need the full email thread, attachments, and any agreement that mentions Tasha's share.””
Tasha forwarded the email to Nicole.
Then another message appeared beneath it.
She opened it.
Her face changed.
“What is it?”” I asked.
“Nothing.””
I stared at her.
“Don't do that again.””
She turned the phone around reluctantly.
The new message was from David.
We need to talk today. The lender is asking questions. If Marcus starts digging, tell him you acted alone. Don't mention the agreement or the money I promised you.
I felt a strange calm settle over me.
David was already trying to protect himself by preparing to sacrifice Tasha.
She read the message again, her lips trembling.
“He told me he loved me once,” she whispered.
I stared at her.
“What?””
“David. Before we broke up. He said he loved me, and that he would always look out for me.””
“Is that why you trusted him?””
She nodded.
I shook my head slowly.
“Tasha, you don't need to protect him anymore.””
She looked at me.
“Are you going to report me?””
I took a long breath.
“I haven't decided anything about our relationship. But I'm not going to lie to protect you, and I'm not going to conceal evidence to protect David.””
She lowered her head.
Nicole finished reviewing the email thread.
“This is useful evidence of the proposed arrangement and of David's instructions to keep Marcus uninformed. It doesn't resolve every question, but it helps establish the timeline.””
She turned to me.
“I recommend that we submit the formal dispute today, preserve the original electronic records, and ask the lender to retain every document associated with the application. If necessary, we'll discuss further legal steps once we know exactly what was submitted.””
I nodded.
“Do it.””
Nicole packed her laptop.
Before leaving, she turned toward Tasha.
“Please don't delete anything, alter any files, or contact David about the legal review. If he contacts you, preserve the messages and speak with your own lawyer about your interests.””
Tasha looked frightened.
“Do you think he'll come after me?””
“I can't predict what he'll do. But his recent message suggests he's already trying to control what you say.””
After Nicole left, I began organizing the documents on the island.
Tasha remained seated.
“Marcus?””
I didn't look up.
“I know you hate me right now.””
“I don't hate you.””
She seemed relieved.
Then I continued.
“I don't know what I feel. That's the problem.””
She pressed her hands together.
“Can we fix this?””
I looked at her.
“You keep asking me to fix the consequences of decisions you made without me.””
“I know.””
“Do you love me, Tasha? Or do you love the life you thought you could get by staying with me?””
She opened her mouth, but no answer came.
For the first time, she seemed unable to perform her way out of a difficult conversation.
I gathered the papers and carried them into my office.
Behind me, I heard her begin to cry.
I closed the door.
At noon, Nicole called with an update.
“The lender has confirmed receipt of our dispute. They've also located the original submission records.””
“Does the signature match mine?””
“They're arranging a formal review. But there's something else.””
I sat down.
“What?””
“The application includes a second document submitted after the personal guarantee.””
“What kind of document?””
“A transfer authorization. It appears to describe a future transfer of a percentage of your company's ownership to Mitchell Strategic Holdings, subject to the financing closing.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“I never agreed to transfer any ownership.””
“I know. The document is now part of the review.””
“Whose signature is on it?””
“Yours, apparently.””
I stared at the wall.
“Then whoever submitted this didn't just try to borrow money against my company.””
“No,” Nicole said.
“If the document was submitted as described, someone was also attempting to create the appearance that you had agreed to give away part of your business.””
I thought about the email promising Tasha twenty-five percent of the project's profits.
I thought about David telling her not to tell me until the funds were released.
And I thought about the years I'd spent believing that the woman beside me was simply insecure, not someone who might knowingly help another person take what I had built.
“Send me everything,” I said.
“I will.””
After the call, I opened my laptop and checked the company's registered email again.
A new message had arrived from an address I didn't recognize.
There was no greeting. No explanation.
Just a scanned document and a single sentence.
If you want to know who really planned the deal, look at the signature on page six.
I opened the attachment.
Page one showed the proposed financing.
Page two showed the disputed personal guarantee.
Page three contained the company authorization.
I scrolled to page six.
There, beneath a clause describing the proposed ownership transfer, were two signatures.
One was supposed to be mine.
The other belonged to Tasha.
But it wasn't the signature that made my heart stop.
It was the handwritten note beneath hers.
*“As agreed, Marcus will not be informed until after closing.””*
And beside that sentence was a date from six months before David had ever contacted Peachtree Capital.
I read it again.
Then I looked toward the closed office door.
May you like
Because if that date was genuine, Tasha hadn't merely been drawn into David's plan at the last minute.
She might have known about it long before she'd ever admitted.
